We All Can Win: Why This Has to Be The Core Focus In All That We Create

One thing I discovered when grabbing barbeque with a friend in D.C. last year was the anxiety of planning out what our 2018 should look like. It’s a universal emotion that a lot of us feel as we try to figure out our future, pay our student loans, attend a brunch or two, and simultaneously work to build entities that will succeed, grow, and that truly make an impact. The problem is the overwhelming burnout that happens when we’re constantly building and doing everything by ourselves. We’re all so focused on building our own legacies that oftentimes by doing that we limit what can happen if we build together.

There’s a Greater Sense Of Achievement When You Win With Your Crew

Issa Rae and Ava Duvernay are great examples of what it means to reap the benefits of the seeds you planted long ago. What's so beautiful and impactful about their genius is that it extends beyond their solo achievements because they make an intentional effort to network across instead of networking up, as Issa Rae put it. In other words, when they win they bring their people with them. Issa believes in incorporating the talent around her because she knows her people want to tell brilliant narratives and are fully capable of doing so with access to the right opportunities, and those opportunities often come when one person wins and extends a hand to another. She also gives intentional shoutouts to the brilliant women directors and producers who put in work on every single episode of Insecure and Ava Duvernay implements this same behavior by making sure we know the incredibly talented artists who work on the beautifully-shot and intoxicatingly-scripted episodes of Queen Sugar. Sharing our success by keeping the door open for our counterparts is how we erase being the anomalies of great storytellers and instead solidify the standard for our narratives. 

Diversification Of Ideas and Skill Are Imperative When You’re Creating Anything

The limitations of our own mindset and point-of-view are often our enemy. When your goal is to plan a large event or build a company – whether it’s a non-profit or corporation – or develop an app or physical product – it’s important to bring with it more than one set of eyes or one perspective. It’s too easy to miss the mark when it comes to branding something because of a little thing called human error. The way you target people correctly is by understanding the audience you want to reach, and if you’re not in that audience, or at times even if you are, it’s invaluable to include people who have a different perspective than you. Having a multifaceted and multi-cultural team will always propel you past your competition and strengthen you in both the short and long term.

Reflection, Improvement, and Advancement Come With Teamwork

You can’t always critique yourself. Realistically, sometimes you’re so wound up in who you are (your feelings, your emotions, and your state-of-mind) that nothing can penetrate your thought-process. How many of us need that tell-it-like-it-is friend? How many of us need that swift kick in the ass to make a move? WE. ALL. DO. Whether the people you need around you are friends, family or work colleagues, they all play a pivotal role in you moving to the next tier whether personally or professionally. It’s especially important for teams that you work on to be able to reflect on the past work you’ve done and have a vision for where you’re heading. As an extrovert, I stan for teamwork because of the unmatched synergy that comes along with it, but beyond that, I also see the value it holds in propelling you forward. After all, duplicating similar ideas results in less impactful outcomes but fusing together brilliance can create a project that’s a force of nature. 

There Are Levels To Building, You Don’t Have To Invest All Of Yourself In Another Person Or Team

A big reason why we’re scared to build with other people is that we fear that we’ll have to be really committed like it’s a relationship or a 9-5 job, but that's not the case. Working with someone can be within the confines of an annual or semi-annual event. Think Essence Festival, SXSW or even more small-scale – an online workshop or masterclass you host with someone. Not everyone is meant to be your full-time business partner. The key to finding solid teammates is to get to know people through-and-through. Maybe you’re not building a business with someone else but at the very least you can collaborate with them. You’ll learn how to work with people professionally and you’ll either make money or grow your respective audiences.

Think of partnership as manifesting at least twice as much abundance as you would alone. We all can win and there's no reason why we shouldn't if we continue to pass the torch of strategy and opportunity. 

We’re entering into the second quarter of the year and all that 2018 has to offer is yours, let’s continue to work with each other to make it outstanding and fruitful.

Xoxo

Sincerely, Ang.

More Than Avocado Toast & Unlimited Mimosas: Why Brunch Continues To Increase In Value

I have way too many friends who throw brunches. This is not a complaint, but rather a truth. I’ve met some of my best friends during these amazing combinations of breakfast + lunch, and here’s the thing about the abundance of these brunches: I never, and I mean NEVER get tired of attending them. If after a long week of work you don't crave the taste of early-morning mimosas, talking about life, and french toast sprinkled with valuable connections, then I don’t know if you’re a real person.

Okay . . . so maybe that was a stretch, but here are some real reasons why brunch is the best thing going right now.

It's The New "we're too old and washed to go out" Way Of Going Out

Once you hit about 25-years-old you’re pretty much over the let's go out and get wasted phase of your life. But this doesn’t mean you lack the ability to have fun, quite the contrary in fact. What it means is that the meaning of what is fun is changing to you. You’d rather go to Happy Hour after work, see a movie (Wakanda Forever, anyone?) spend your time and money trying some biscuits and sausage gravy or special flavored pancakes with your crew during brunch, or attend a game night. At this time in your life catching-up and connecting over grapefruit-flavored mimosas in the warm sun is appealing and feeling pressured to give attention to some dude at the bar who won't leave you alone is not. Investing in a carafe with the girls (or guys) catches your attention and your budget stays intact. After all, you likely won’t get an in-depth conversation in a bar at 1 am. Save your club money for when it matters most.

A Chance To Form Unexpected + Invaluable Relationships 

There are a lot of places to discover and connect with people across the web but in-person meetups are still unmatched. In-person events are the phone calls to our text messages; conversations translate differently and there’s nothing quite like witnessing real-time emotions, reactions, and opinions when it comes to what’s going on in the world. It’s invaluable to think that you could go to an early-morning brunch and leave having met someone who could be the basis of the friendship you never knew you needed. Brunches give access to collaborative minds that you may not have otherwise had exposure to, and if you’re new to a city attending a brunch could make a way for you to establish incredible friendships and mentors that are life long. 

It's a Reunion Away From a Family Reunion 

We all know how our family reunions go. The big T-shirts, the food, the music and dancing, the games, and the feeling of love that surrounds it. Whether it's two people or 50, the right brunch can feel just like a real family reunion. And for some people who don't have family in the same place that they live, gathering at a Sunday brunch or turn up forms a bond in an environment where the good vibes are plentiful. When it comes to the smaller brunch events you get more intimacy and a chance to get to know people, and with bigger brunches you have the opportunity to dance, hear from panelists, buy from vendors, partake in a buffet, and so much more that feels family-centered. At brunch you feel included and at home, just like with your genetic family.

Casual as You Wanna Be: Comfort and Conversation Go Well Together 

As full-time working adults we’re not always trying to go somewhere where heels or a nice suit are required, so when it comes to connecting with great people, being in an environment where you’re comfortable invites conversation more fluidly. Brunch is the place where chic fashion reigns supreme but the pressure to be red-carpet ready isn’t overwhelming. Welcome to the environment where your sneakers can be worn with a dress, flowy pajama pants can be dressed up to the nines with heels, and graphic T’s are widespread. Whether you do the most or do the least, brunch is the place where you are encouraged to bring your whole self to the table.

A Breeding Ground For Inspiration + Execution 

Brunches not only provide an excuse for you to gather with friends and family, they also open up the door for you to talk to those who you might otherwise never have met. Because brunch is typically held early in the day the vibe tends to be different, and there’s bright, flavorful food and drinks that accompany free-flowing conversation. Perspectives and life experiences are exchanged over topics like relationships, career, mental health and overall life goals which prompts inspiration on all levels. Maybe you’re looking to plan a panel or Happy Hour and you need help from a graphic designer, videographer or professional event planner; you could meet the peanut butter to your jelly as far as a business-partner goes at brunch. Everyone has incredible connections, and if we team-up then the ability to develop and execute great ideas becomes limitless. Uber was brought to fruition at SXSW, and who knows, the newest conference could be pieced together at the next brunch you attend.  

Unlimited Potential To Secure The Bag:

Whether you’re a part of a team that plans and hosts quarterly brunches that are formally catered with a decadent music selection, or you host beginning of the year goal-mapping brunches with a small group, the options for how to design a brunch event are absolutely limitless. You could turn a well-known Saturday/Sunday hobby into a sponsored event that’s built for much more than just a one-off, feel-good time. Think as small, intimate, and exclusive as you want, or as large-scale as a monumental movement that could partner with an event as highly-anticipated as Essence Fest, SXSW or Coachella. Remember, well-known events were always small on some level at first, and the potential to make money from it can happen when you least expect it. 

What other impacts do you see brunch having in the near future? Let me know in the comments below and let’s clink our grapefruit-flavored mimosa glasses. Happy Brunching!

Xoxo

Sincerely Ang.